NHTSA Complaint #760269 — 2000 MERCURY SABLE

ON TWO OCCASIONS ON MARCH 18, 2002, AND ONE OCCASION ON MARCH 25, 2002 VEHICLE FAILED TO START WHILE ON A TRIP FROM TOLEDO, OH TO CHARLOTTE, NC. VEHICLE WOULD NOT CRANK, BUT EXHIBITED NO OTHER FAULTS. AFTER A PERIOD OF ABOUT 15 TO 20 MINUTES, VEHICLE STARTED. AFTER FIRST INCIDENT VEHICLE ONE MARCH 18 WAS TAKEN TO TURNPIKE FORD IN MARMET, WV. SERVICE THERE COULD NOT IDENTIFY PROBLEM. AFTER THIRD INCIDENT ON MARCH 25 VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ASTROG FORD IN PARKERSBURG, WV. SERVICE THERE FIRST REPORTED THEY WERE UNABLE TO IDENTIFY PROBLEM, BUT IN PREPARING TO RETURN VEHICLE TO ME, IT FAILED TO START. ASTORG FORD REPORTED TO ME THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED A NEW PATS SWITCH, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE PART. THEY SUGGESTED I PROCEED TO TOLEDO, NOT TURN OFF THE IGNITION, AND TAKE IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALER. ON MARCH 27 I DELIVERED THE VEHICLE TO FRANKLIN PARK LINCOLN MERCURY AND REPORTED THE PROBLEM. THEY KEPT THE VEHICLE UNTIL APRIL 4 AND REPORTED THAT "PROBLEM IS INTERMIT COULD NOT VERIFY AT THIS TIME ALL SYSTEM OPERATE AS DESIGNED." *AK